Principles of Animal Nutrition: Carbohydrates

Flashcards covering key concepts related to carbohydrates in animal nutrition.

Carbohydrates

The most important sources of energy to livestock.

Starch

CHO of reserve in plants, easily digestible.

Glycogen

CHO of reserve in animals, synthesized and stored in the liver and muscle.

Cellulose

Structural CHO in plants, the most abundant constituent of herbivore diets.

VFA

Volatile fatty acids such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid absorbed by ruminants, horses, and rabbits.

Monosaccharides

Simple sugars that are the building blocks of carbohydrates.

Pentoses

Monosaccharides with 5 carbon atoms, e.g., arabinose, xylose, ribose.

Hexoses

Monosaccharides with 6 carbon atoms, e.g., glucose, fructose, galactose, mannose.

Disaccharides

Carbohydrates formed by two monosaccharides.

Maltose

A disaccharide composed of two glucose molecules.

Sucrose

A disaccharide comprised of glucose and fructose.

Lactose

A disaccharide consisting of glucose and galactose.

Cellobiose

A disaccharide made of two glucose units linked by a β-1,4 bond.

Oligosaccharides

Carbohydrates containing a small number of monosaccharides.

Polysaccharides

Carbohydrates containing many monosaccharides.

Glycolysis

The metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate, yielding ATP.

Citric Acid Cycle (TCA/Krebs Cycle)

The cycle that processes acetyl CoA to produce NADH and FADH2.

Hydrolysis

The chemical breakdown of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides by enzymes.

α-linkage

A type of glycosidic bond that can be digested by mammalian and microbial enzymes.

β-linkage

A type of glycosidic bond that can only be digested by microbial enzymes.

Absorption

The process by which monosaccharides are taken up by the intestinal cells.

Glucose Transporter

Proteins that facilitate the transport of glucose across cell membranes.

Sodium Pump

A mechanism used to transport sodium and potassium ions across cell membranes, vital for glucose absorption.

Glycogenolysis

The breakdown of glycogen to release glucose when blood sugar is low.

Glycogenesis

The formation of glycogen from glucose when blood sugar is high.

Energy Harvesting Stage

The phase of glycolysis where ATP is produced.

Fermentation

The metabolic process that converts sugars to acids, gases, or alcohol in the absence of oxygen.